How Much Does It Cost To Get A Divorce
Making the decision to untie the marriage knot is never an easy one and not to mention that these days, it’s becoming an expensive decision as well. As a result, many people stay in their failed relationships due to inability to afford a split. On average a divorce can cost anywhere between $500 to $15,000, depending on the size of shared assets, legal custodies, shares and stocks bought as a couple and also administrative and legal fees. In contested divorces, however, the charges can surge up to anywhere between $15,000 to $30,000, with a large sum going solely to legal fees.
So, what is the best way to get a divorce with the least cost and hassle. Usually, couples looking to split are given only two options, a divorce without a lawyer or a divorce with legal assistance. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of both of them, in terms of divorce finances.
Cost of Divorce Without A Lawyer
Without a lawyer, you’ll be looking at a large amount of savings in terms of legal fees. On average, divorce attorneys charge a whopping $75 an hour for their services with attorneys linked to larger and more prestigious firms charging up to $450 per hour. And that doesn’t even include the charges for documentation and formalities.
Without the help of a lawyer, you can choose to settle your divorce outside of court with the help of divorce mediators. What they do is similar to what your lawyers would do, just a great deal cheaper. They will help you mediate the discussions and terms of your divorce, including the financial and custodial aspects of it. However, it is always recommended to run the final divorce terms with a lawyer. And if you and your partner are able to agree on a mutual, third-party lawyer, you can have the terms reviewed in parallel and this reduces the legal costs drastically for the both of you. Mediation services usually cost between $6,000 to $7,000, not including the minor legal consultation you may need.
Once you have your terms, you’ll need someone to help you fill out the paperwork and submit them in court. That’s where legal document preparers or LDPs come in. These guys are professionals when it comes to documents related to the court and all they will need are the terms of your divorce settlement and they would be able to draw up all the necessary paperwork and submit them to court for you. The cost would usually be about $175 and $700, depending on the complexity of the terms agreed upon.
If you find that too pricey, you can always turn to the Internet for cheaper options. There are many online LDPs that can get the paperwork done for you for anywhere between $200 and $500. However, these online LDPs don’t help you submit the documents to court so you may need some legal assistance here.
Divorce With Legal Assistance
Carrying out divorce procedures with legal assistance is most definitely going to be expensive. Legal divorce assistance is usually calculated per hour and this rate will depend on how good (or well-known) your divorce lawyer is. Aside from all that, your location will also affect the rate your divorce attorney will charge. For instance, it would be more expensive to get a divorce in California than it will cost you in say, Pennsylvania or Vermont. On average, the costs can be anywhere between $15,000 to $45,000 in legal fees alone.
The good thing is that everything will be taken care of by your lawyer. From the mediation to the documentation, right up to the court submissions, you won’t have to run around finding different solutions for each of those requirements.
The cost to get a divorce
Divorce is definitely costly and even if settling a divorce amicably without the help of a lawyer seems like a pocket-friendly option, don’t entirely cut out legal consultation from your calculations. It’s always best to consult a divorce attorney at least once before all the documents go to court.
Disclaimer:
The above is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal advice or specific recommendations in any way.
